ABOUT NIFC

Wildland Firefighters Monument

The Wildland Firefighters Monument (WFM) is a tribute and honor to all wildland firefighters and the people who support them - past, present, and future. The Monument is managed by the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC)-Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Division Chief for Support Services (DSS). In recognition of the significant and emotive character of the WFM, all requests regarding the WFM will be reviewed by the Branch Chief for Site and Facilities Management and recommendations will be forwarded to the NIFC-DSS management and the NIFC Governing Board as appropriate. Year-round care is accomplished through the combined efforts of staff, local volunteers, and visitors.

The WFM provides a place for visitors to experiences some of the diverse elements of the wildland firefighting environment. Reminders of both the challenges and risks of wildland firefighting exist in the native vegetation. In the midst of the busy NIFC campus, the Monument offers peace, tranquility and a place to reflect.

The Wildland Firefighter Monument was conceived as a special way to recognize wildland firefighters after the loss of 14 lives during the 1994 South Canyon Fire in western Colorado. The Monument, officially dedicated in May of 2000, was created with the help of countless firefighters and volunteers and was supported by generous donations from individuals and businesses.

Three eight-foot bronze firefighters were created by a sculptor from the National Park Service. They stand in silent testimony to hard-working men and women on the fireline.

A Place and a Vision: The Work Continues

This monument – born of an idea, designed with a vision and created with much labor and care – is a special place to honor firefighters and other who devoted their lives to wildland fire.

The vision included landscaping to match the natural environs where firefighters work. Through countless days of toil firefighters and other volunteers established three representative vegetation zones: rangelands, mountain and riparian.

The natural zones have since been encroached upon and degraded by non-native, invasive species. We are working to reclaim the original vision and restore the natural landscape.

Zone1: Great Basin Rangeland Vegetation
In keeping with the original vision of landscaping with natural vegetation reflecting areas where firefighters work, this zone includes such species as juniper, pine, sagebrush and rabbit brush.